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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stock — shares
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. last — finally
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mate — a friend
  14. last — final
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a great time
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a dance
  24. last — to go on

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