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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: snap · bat · mouse · mug · press · root · pit · squash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pit — in a race
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. press — to push
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. snap — to click
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. root — the cause
  15. mug — to rob
  16. root — of a word
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. press — newspapers
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mug — a face
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — for a computer

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