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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. drill — a practice
  11. craft — a skill
  12. drill — army training
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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