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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — a face
  8. squash — to crush
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rock — a stone
  13. date — the fruit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rock — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. date — on the calendar

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