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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. press — newspapers
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. track — a song
  6. date — the fruit
  7. track — a path
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — a coil
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spring — of water
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. press — to push
  17. track — to keep track
  18. press — a publisher
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spring — the season
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — humankind

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