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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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Word bank
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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: game · charge · straw · coach · press · fan · squash · mug

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. game — a match
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — a publisher
  9. squash — the sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — to rob
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. press — to push
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. game — wild animals
  24. straw — dry grass

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