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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pop — soda
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lean — to bend
  6. game — wild animals
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lean — thin
  10. game — a match
  11. track — a path
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a song
  14. march — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pop — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — a break
  23. squash — to crush
  24. march — the month

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