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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a face
  6. ball — a great time
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. net — for catching
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. ball — a dance
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. mug — a cup

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