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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — in control
  5. season — of the year
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. press — newspapers
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. content — the amount
  13. press — a publisher
  14. march — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — a partner
  17. content — happy
  18. season — in sport
  19. rock — music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rock — a stone
  22. charge — electricity
  23. press — to push
  24. charge — a price

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