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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spell — magic
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — to crush
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spell — letters
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bass — the instrument

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