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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — in sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fork — in a road
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — a practice
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. prune — to trim
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spell — magic
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. row — a line
  19. net — after costs
  20. drill — army training
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — letters

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