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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — a price
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. rule — government
  14. file — a document
  15. net — after costs
  16. rule — a law
  17. court — of law
  18. squash — to crush
  19. charge — in control
  20. court — of a king
  21. file — a tool
  22. court — for sport
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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