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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rash — a series
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fine — all right
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. capital — money
  15. scale — in music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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