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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a path
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wax — to grow
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. track — a song
  24. jam — in traffic

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