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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. present — there
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. present — the time now
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. present — a gift
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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