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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 116 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. net — after costs
  3. firm — decided
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — in sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. net — for catching
  12. track — a song
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tube — a container
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. mate — to breed
  18. firm — a company
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. firm — steady
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tube — the underground

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