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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — the sport
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. squash — to crush
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. march — music

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