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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — a path
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — to shout
  6. squash — the sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. roll — a list
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. track — to keep track

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