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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rule — a law
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mark — a grade
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chair — a leader
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — government
  18. present — there
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — on the calendar

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