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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. object — a thing
  6. cue — a hint
  7. squash — the sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. spell — letters
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spell — a short time
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cue — a signal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spell — magic
  24. object — to protest

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