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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. court — of a king
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. court — of law
  11. squash — the sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mine — for digging
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lie — to recline
  18. court — for sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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