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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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. drill — army training
  3. field — farmland
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — the sport
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. fall — the season
  11. track — a song
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pit — in a race
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. field — for sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. field — a subject
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fall — to drop
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stand — to bear

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