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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. toast — bread
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pop — music
  9. snap — to click
  10. roll — a list
  11. pop — to visit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. prune — to trim
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. roll — a cake
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mate — a friend

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