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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. scale — in music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. squash — to crush
  5. staff — a stick
  6. deal — to handle
  7. squash — the sport
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. shower — rain
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  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