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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. row — a line
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. roll — a list
  14. rule — a law
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — a cake
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pop — music
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rule — government
  24. pitcher — a jug

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