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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — decided
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mate — a friend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. staff — a stick
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. staff — employees
  10. firm — a company
  11. staff — employees
  12. firm — steady
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. content — the amount
  17. mate — to breed
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. content — happy
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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