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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. track — a path
  4. squash — the sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. track — a song
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — of ice
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cap — a hat
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pit — a hole

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