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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. ball — a dance
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. firm — steady
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. firm — a company
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — music
  16. stock — goods
  17. firm — decided
  18. track — a path
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stock — shares

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