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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. track — a song
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — the sport
  5. object — to protest
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. track — a path
  9. object — an aim
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bore — to tire
  12. object — a thing
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mug — a face
  23. squash — to crush
  24. dip — a sauce

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