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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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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 · kid · clip · squash · bay · ball · perch · prune

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. clip — to cut
  6. kid — child
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. clip — for paper
  10. perch — the fish
  11. kid — to tease
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — a video
  14. ball — a great time
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mug — a face
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mug — a cup
  24. squash — to crush

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