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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: mouse · squash · can · prune · bowl · chip · pound · lie

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. squash — the sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chip — in a computer

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