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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. deal — to handle
  15. can — a tin
  16. press — a publisher
  17. drill — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a dance
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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