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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wound — an injury
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mug — a face
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — to rob
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — in control
  22. squash — to crush
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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