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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. scale — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — a company
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. scale — size or range
  15. firm — decided
  16. chip — to eat
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chip — for betting
  19. squash — the sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — the fruit

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