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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. charge — in control
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bat — the animal
  15. toast — bread
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — a price
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. date — on the calendar

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