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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — high quality
  6. squash — the sport
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chip — to eat
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — in a computer

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