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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. root — the cause
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. root — of a word

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