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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — a group
  5. spell — letters
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. spell — magic
  11. firm — steady
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — soda
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. firm — a company
  23. club — for golf
  24. mouse — for a computer

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