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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 124 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bear — the animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. squash — the sport
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mate — to breed
  15. present — there
  16. pop — to visit
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pop — music
  23. toast — bread
  24. mate — a friend

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