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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. squash — to crush
  10. clip — to cut
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rush — hurry
  14. clip — a video
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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