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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. spring — the season
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. firm — steady
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — of water
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. firm — decided

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