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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bass — low music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cue — for pool
  24. capital — a big letter

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