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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: face · squash · track · race · dip · season · march · deal

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. march — the month
  8. face — to point toward
  9. squash — to crush
  10. face — to confront
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. race — a contest
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — part of the head
  17. season — of the year
  18. dip — to sink
  19. season — in sport
  20. march — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. track — a path
  23. squash — the sport
  24. deal — to handle

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