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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. march — the month
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — the sport
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. charge — electricity
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ground — the earth
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — for a lock
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. charge — a price
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — a supporter

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