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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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. charge — electricity
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — a price
  10. land — ground
  11. date — the fruit
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — for a lock
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pop — soda
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — music
  22. key — in music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — the most important part

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