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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. dip — to sink
  5. press — newspapers
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. dip — a sauce

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