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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. kid — to tease
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. press — newspapers
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a great time
  12. press — to push
  13. track — a path
  14. ball — a dance
  15. track — a song
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. toast — bread
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kid — child
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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