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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. track — a path
  8. season — in sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tube — a container
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fine — all right
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. track — a song
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mine — an explosive

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