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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pop — soda
  3. land — a country
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. foot — a measure
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fine — high quality
  13. season — of the year
  14. squash — the sport
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. land — to come down
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. fork — in a road
  23. land — ground
  24. season — in sport

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