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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mug — a cup
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cold — not warm
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cold — an illness
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — all right
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. track — a path
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mug — a face

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