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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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. vault — a safe
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. track — to keep track
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. track — a path
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. squash — the sport
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — bread
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. track — a song
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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