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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chest — a box
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. roll — a list
  6. charge — a price
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — in control
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. craft — boats
  11. chest — of your body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitch — completely

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