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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. track — a path
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitch — completely
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — to handle
  16. track — a song
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rush — to hurry
  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