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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fork — in a road
  3. last — final
  4. charge — electricity
  5. last — finally
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — to crush
  10. last — to go on
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a hint
  13. charge — a price
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. charge — in control
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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