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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. charge — a price
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. charge — in control
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fine — high quality
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. root — the cause
  20. fine — all right
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. scale — for weighing

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