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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spell — a short time
  5. net — for catching
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — letters
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spell — magic
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — a gift
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. perch — the fish
  24. squash — the vegetable

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