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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — a path
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. press — to push
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — to keep track
  12. squash — to crush
  13. press — a publisher
  14. suit — in cards
  15. land — ground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. suit — clothes
  20. press — newspapers
  21. land — to come down
  22. track — a song
  23. land — a country
  24. suit — to fit

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