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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — to play on
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — music
  13. last — final
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. hand — in cards
  17. tube — the underground
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. hand — help
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pit — a hole
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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