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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pop — soda
  3. charge — electricity
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. charge — in control
  11. ground — the earth
  12. band — a music group
  13. charge — a price
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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