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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ground — a position
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lie — to recline
  22. current — electric
  23. ground — crushed
  24. squash — the sport

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