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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. tube — the underground
  6. toast — bread
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. roll — a cake
  9. squash — to crush
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. charge — a price
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. key — the most important part
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. key — in music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — the vegetable

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