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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. track — a path
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — to keep track
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. roll — a cake
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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