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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. degree — an amount
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. squash — to crush
  9. degree — temperature
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fine — all right
  19. degree — from a university
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. squash — the vegetable

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