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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fine — high quality
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fine — all right
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. squash — the sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cell — a phone
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — in cards
  24. present — a gift

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