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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fine — all right
  4. pop — soda
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. charge — in control
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. last — final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — high quality
  20. last — to go on
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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