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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. net — after costs
  9. squash — the sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pit — in a race
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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