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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ball — a great time
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — to roll

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