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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — a path
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ball — a great time
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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