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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. press — to push
  4. pop — soda
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — a container
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. race — humankind
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tube — the underground
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. date — the fruit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pound — a weight
  22. race — a contest
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com