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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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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: mug · charge · clip · pass · nail · shower · field · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — for sport
  5. mug — to rob
  6. clip — to cut
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a face
  9. shower — rain
  10. pass — a permit
  11. shower — to wash
  12. charge — in control
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mug — a cup
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. field — a subject
  20. clip — a video
  21. squash — to crush
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. clip — for paper

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