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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. game — a match
  7. swing — music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spell — a short time
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. scale — in music
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — to play on
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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