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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. club — for dancing
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. club — a group
  5. pit — in a race
  6. snap — to click
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pass — a permit
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. sharp — clever
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — for golf
  17. net — after costs
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. net — for catching

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