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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cell — a phone
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rock — music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. track — a song
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fork — in a road
  23. track — a path
  24. squash — to crush

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