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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rush — hurry
  8. date — the fruit
  9. swing — music
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. swing — in golf
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. land — to come down

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