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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fork — in a road
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. toast — bread
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — a signal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mine — for digging
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cap — of ice
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pop — music
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mine — an explosive

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