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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. squash — to crush
  5. press — to push
  6. capital — money
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a city
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. track — a path
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. track — a song
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. snap — to click
  24. bore — to tire

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