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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. track — to keep track
  6. plane — a tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — a path
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — a song

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