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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. charge — in control
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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