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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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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: snap · ball · toast · patient · racket · present · squash · prune

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. toast — bread
  3. ball — a great time
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to click
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. present — there
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. present — the time now
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — to crush
  22. present — a gift
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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