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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pop — soda
  4. charge — in control
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. clip — a video
  7. cap — a lid
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pop — to visit
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bark — to shout
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — a hat
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. nail — for a hammer

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