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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — magic
  4. date — the fruit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — a break
  8. present — a gift
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. present — the time now
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — letters
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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