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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. track — a path
  3. bound — certain
  4. squash — the sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — in sport
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. track — a song
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spell — letters
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — obliged
  17. spell — magic
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chair — a leader
  22. season — of the year
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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