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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · season · game · charge · arm · mug · squash · rush

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ground — the earth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. charge — a price
  9. squash — the sport
  10. season — in sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. game — a match
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — a position
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ground — crushed
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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