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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a great time
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — a path
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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