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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tube — a container
  3. pop — music
  4. shower — rain
  5. season — of the year
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — crushed
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — in sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — the earth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. shower — to wash
  24. hide — animal skin

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