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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the sport
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — an injury
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. firm — a company
  14. game — a match
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. charge — electricity
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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