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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — decided
  8. swing — in golf
  9. firm — steady
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. swing — music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. firm — a company
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kid — child
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pop — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mouse — for 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