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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · tear · cell · charge · squash · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tear — to rip
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pit — a hole
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. charge — a price
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — in control
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cell — a phone

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