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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — a permit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the sport
  13. capital — a city
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. capital — money
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. scale — in music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. pass — to spend time

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