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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. field — for sport
  3. club — a group
  4. craft — boats
  5. squash — the sport
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — farmland
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. club — for golf
  13. snap — to click
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. field — a subject
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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