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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — to push
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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