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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — ground
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tear — from crying
  16. land — a country
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. land — to come down
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pound — a weight
  24. squash — the sport

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