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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. cold — not warm
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pound — a weight
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cold — an illness
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — of water
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spring — the season
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bulb — for light
  23. charge — in control
  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