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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · straw · squash · key · track · can · row · chest

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. track — a song
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. track — to keep track
  7. squash — the sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — a path
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chest — a box
  15. pit — a hole
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — in music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chest — of your body
  24. can — to be able to

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