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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — a song
  4. chip — for betting
  5. land — to come down
  6. squash — to crush
  7. swing — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. land — a country
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mate — to breed
  15. chip — to eat
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mate — a partner
  19. land — ground
  20. lean — thin
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. track — a path
  24. squash — the sport

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