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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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 vegetable
  2. file — a line of people
  3. band — a music group
  4. file — a tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. craft — boats
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — newspapers
  9. file — a document
  10. squash — the sport
  11. press — to push
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. craft — a skill
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. key — the most important part
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a ring
  20. pop — to visit
  21. key — in music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. key — for a lock
  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