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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. prune — to trim
  3. squash — to crush
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — the sport
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — to keep track
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — a committee
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. dip — to sink
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bulb — of a plant

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