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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — to crush
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — a short time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pass — a permit
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — in sport
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. net — for catching
  17. spell — letters
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. press — a publisher

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