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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. band — a music group
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. can — a tin
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. stock — goods
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a ring
  17. stock — shares
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. squash — to crush
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ground — the earth
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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