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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. squash — the sport
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fork — in a road
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — a path
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. hand — help

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