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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. bore — to drill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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