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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. club — a group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ball — a dance
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — rain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. club — for golf
  18. tear — to rip
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. press — to push
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. tear — from crying
  24. squash — to crush

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