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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. firm — decided
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. court — of a king
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. prune — to trim
  18. court — of law
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. court — for sport
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mine — for digging

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