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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cap — a hat
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. suit — to fit
  17. board — to get on
  18. ball — a great time
  19. suit — in cards
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. sharp — clever

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