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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — decided
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. firm — a company
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bore — to drill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — of ice
  11. net — after costs
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. net — in sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — the sport
  24. perch — the fish

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