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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitch — completely
  8. craft — boats
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fine — all right
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — a cup
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bulb — for light

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