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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. root — of a word
  6. squash — to crush
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. clip — a video
  13. band — a ring
  14. season — in sport
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pit — in a race
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — of the year
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. root — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. safe — a strongbox

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