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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rest — a break
  4. track — a path
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pit — in a race
  8. track — to keep track
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cap — a hat
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stand — to bear
  24. squash — the vegetable

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