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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — clothes
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pop — music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — a path
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — help
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. squash — the sport
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pop — soda

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