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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pop — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — of a word
  10. degree — from a university
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — soda
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. root — the cause
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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