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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — a permit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ground — a position
  23. toast — bread
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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