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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pass — a permit
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a line of people
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. game — a match
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. shower — to wash
  13. file — a tool
  14. shower — rain
  15. press — to push
  16. cap — a hat
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — newspapers
  19. game — wild animals
  20. squash — to crush
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — of ice
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pass — to succeed

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