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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pit — in a race
  5. court — of a king
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. track — a path
  12. key — for a lock
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. key — in music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. pit — a hole
  22. court — of law
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bear — the animal

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