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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. squash — to crush
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fine — high quality
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. season — of the year
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pound — a weight
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. date — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bowl — a dish

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