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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. squash — to crush
  3. charge — a price
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — to visit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — in control
  10. ground — the earth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. suit — clothes
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ground — a position
  16. date — the fruit
  17. shower — rain
  18. squash — the sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a great time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — in cards

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