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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — a tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. charge — in control
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — for golf
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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