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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. charge — a price
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cap — of ice
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitch — completely
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cap — a lid
  24. can — to be able to

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