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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. firm — decided
  5. scale — in music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. prune — to trim
  9. scale — size or range
  10. firm — steady
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — the sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. firm — a company
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. 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