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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · field · squash · suit · prune · court · snap · scale

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — the sport
  7. snap — to click
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. scale — size or range
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. suit — clothes
  13. court — of law
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. field — farmland
  16. suit — in cards
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. field — for sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — in music
  22. field — a subject
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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