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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rule — government
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — a price
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rule — a law
  21. pit — in a race
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. charge — in control
  24. plane — in geometry

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