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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. object — to protest
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. object — a thing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — in a race
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. object — an aim
  19. squash — to crush
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. season — of the year

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