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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. charge — electricity
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — a price
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. craft — a skill
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — to keep track
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. craft — boats
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — to sink

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