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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. spring — a coil
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — a price
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — the fish
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — in music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spring — of water

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