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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. track — a path
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — a position
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. object — a thing
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. object — an aim
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. squash — to crush
  21. kick — in football
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — to protest
  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