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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — a company
  3. squash — to crush
  4. charge — electricity
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — decided
  11. charge — a price
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. firm — steady
  21. mug — a face
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rash — a series
  24. bat — for baseball

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