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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — a path
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — to keep track
  13. deal — to handle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. squash — the sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. track — a song
  24. field — for 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