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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a face
  14. squash — the sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — a cup
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mug — to rob

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