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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. track — a song
  7. mark — a grade
  8. sharp — clever
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. sharp — exactly

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