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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. kid — to tease
  13. track — a path
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. squash — the sport
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. squash — to crush
  22. kid — child
  23. snap — to click
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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