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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cap — of ice
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — music
  8. game — a match
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rock — a stone
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cap — a hat
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. swing — in golf
  21. squash — the sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cap — a lid

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