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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 120 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mug — a face
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. squash — to crush
  10. capital — money
  11. bass — low music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bass — the fish
  14. season — in sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a trace
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mug — to rob
  24. capital — a city

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