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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a great time
  5. squash — to crush
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. squash — the sport
  9. band — a ring
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — boats
  16. band — a music group
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — a skill
  24. band — a rubber band

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