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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bat — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — finally
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — to crush
  9. object — to protest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. object — a thing

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