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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wake — a trail
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pop — music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fine — all right
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. mug — a face
  14. pop — soda
  15. fine — high quality
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. squash — the sport
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pass — to spend time

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