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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cap — of ice
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — the sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — boats
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ground — a position
  14. firm — a company
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a lid
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — decided
  22. cap — a hat
  23. craft — a skill
  24. prune — the fruit

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