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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — in control
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a line
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ball — a dance
  13. perch — the fish
  14. clip — a video
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. charge — a price
  17. clip — to cut
  18. can — to be able to
  19. clip — for paper
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — the sport

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