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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — to rob
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pop — soda
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pop — to visit
  11. charge — electricity
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mug — a face
  14. kid — child
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mug — a cup

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