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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. last — to go on
  3. track — a song
  4. cap — a lid
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. track — to keep track
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. track — a path
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. shower — rain
  12. cap — of ice
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. last — final
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. squash — to crush
  22. shower — to wash
  23. last — finally
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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