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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. march — music
  4. stock — shares
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. row — a line
  9. stock — goods
  10. squash — to crush
  11. march — the month
  12. cap — a lid
  13. march — the month
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ball — a great time
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. row — a quarrel

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