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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cue — a hint
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. squash — the sport

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