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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — to keep track
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. file — a tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. key — the most important part
  11. board — to get on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a committee
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. file — a line of people
  20. key — in music
  21. file — a document
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. squash — the sport
  24. key — for a lock

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