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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — for a lock
  14. press — to push
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — a publisher
  18. staff — employees
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. dip — to sink
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mine — for digging

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