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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pit — a hole
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rule — government
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rule — a law
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mug — a cup
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. mug — to rob
  14. roll — a list
  15. row — to paddle
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fork — in a road
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — the underground
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — a face

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