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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mark — a trace
  4. last — final
  5. present — the time now
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. present — there
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. present — a gift
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — a country
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — in golf
  17. land — ground
  18. pit — in a race
  19. land — to come down
  20. last — finally
  21. swing — music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. ruler — for measuring

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