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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mug — a face
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mine — for digging

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