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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cold — not warm
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — soda
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cold — an illness
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rule — a law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — to visit
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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