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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. roll — a list
  6. mate — to breed
  7. present — a gift
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. present — there
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — the sport
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — a path
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — a song
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — crushed

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