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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. squash — to crush
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — to push
  12. date — the fruit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — a publisher
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — to tire
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wound — an injury
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — an injury

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