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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. swing — music
  4. track — a song
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. key — for a lock
  7. squash — the sport
  8. key — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mate — to breed
  12. track — a path
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mate — a friend
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. key — the most important part
  24. swing — in golf

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