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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — the fish
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pound — a weight
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. tube — a container
  24. bulb — of a plant

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