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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — a price
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. scale — in music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wound — an injury
  12. squash — to crush
  13. charge — in control
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bear — the animal

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