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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. firm — decided
  4. squash — the sport
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. content — the amount
  7. firm — a company
  8. present — the time now
  9. suit — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — steady
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cell — a phone
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. cell — in biology
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. straw — a straw man

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