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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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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: ground · wind · prune · ball · squash · fine · pass · pitcher

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — a position
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — all right
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pass — a permit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wind — moving air
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fine — high quality

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