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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. suit — to fit
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. present — there
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — a gift
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. prune — to trim

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