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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — in a race
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wound — an injury
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rule — a law
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — government
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cabinet — ministers

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