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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.

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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fine — high quality
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — to trim

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