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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. land — ground
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — to come down
  7. wound — an injury
  8. land — a country
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mug — a face
  15. last — finally
  16. mug — a cup
  17. squash — to crush
  18. last — final
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. squash — the sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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