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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. track — to keep track
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. track — a song
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tube — the underground
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ground — a position
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — a path
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wake — a trail
  24. safe — out of danger

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