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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. tube — a container
  9. fine — all right
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — the fish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bass — low music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chest — a box

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