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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. root — of a plant
  10. suit — clothes
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — to crush
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. snap — to click
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — the cause
  18. suit — to fit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — electricity
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. press — a publisher

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