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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. race — humankind
  4. season — of the year
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ground — a position
  10. race — a contest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pop — soda
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mug — a cup
  24. race — the arms race

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