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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — in sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. row — to paddle
  6. track — a path
  7. can — to be able to
  8. track — a song
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. row — a line
  12. can — a tin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. can — a tin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. season — of the year
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ball — a great time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ball — a dance
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. squash — the sport

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