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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. rule — government
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — a law
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bass — the fish

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