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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: mug · rest · cold · prune · pop · foot · squash · ball

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pop — soda
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cold — an illness
  13. squash — to crush
  14. foot — a measure
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rest — what's left
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mug — a face
  21. rest — a break
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pop — to visit

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