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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. squash — to crush
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ground — a position
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mug — a face
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ground — crushed
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. jam — in traffic

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