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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. press — to push
  3. bound — certain
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. bound — obliged
  7. toast — bread
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — newspapers
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. squash — the sport
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. object — an aim
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitcher — a jug

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