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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. band — a ring
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. charge — electricity
  10. object — to protest
  11. track — to keep track
  12. band — a music group
  13. charge — in control
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. object — a thing
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. object — an aim
  20. charge — a price
  21. track — a path
  22. lean — thin
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. track — a song

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