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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — bread
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. net — for catching
  5. rash — a series
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — the sport
  11. club — a group
  12. squash — to crush
  13. spell — a short time
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. club — for dancing
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — hasty
  22. spell — letters
  23. net — in sport
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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