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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. suit — in cards
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — to rip
  7. suit — to fit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — for a lock
  19. track — a path
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. key — in music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ruler — for measuring

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