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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ball — a great time
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. clip — a video
  10. prune — to trim
  11. clip — to cut
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — for paper
  15. suit — in cards
  16. scale — size or range
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ball — a dance

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