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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. track — a path
  9. rash — a series
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rock — a stone
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. track — a song
  18. rock — music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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