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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mug — a face
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rule — a law
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rule — government
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ground — a position
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mug — to rob

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