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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mate — to breed
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mate — a friend
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bound — tied together
  16. squash — to crush
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fork — in a road
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — certain
  21. squash — the sport
  22. row — a line
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — hurry

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