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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ground — crushed
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a document
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. court — for sport
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a line of people
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of law
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — of a king
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. squash — to crush
  24. file — a tool

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