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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pop — to visit
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pop — music
  7. mug — a face
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — part of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pop — soda
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — to be able to
  22. squash — to crush
  23. scale — in music
  24. mug — to rob

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