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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. present — a gift
  12. file — a tool
  13. pop — music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stem — to come from
  16. present — the time now
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. squash — the sport
  21. present — there
  22. file — a document
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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