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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hand — help
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. squash — the sport

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