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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — a publisher
  9. field — a subject
  10. rash — a series
  11. bound — certain
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. shower — rain
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — farmland
  16. bound — tied together
  17. field — for sport
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. press — newspapers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — to wash

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