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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — a song
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — thin
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spell — letters
  21. lean — to bend
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. track — to keep track

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