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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. club — for golf
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kid — child
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ball — a great time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — to tease
  17. squash — the sport
  18. toast — bread
  19. root — of a word
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — a group
  22. root — of a plant
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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