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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · suit · prune · squash · ground · date · mine · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. suit — to fit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spell — letters
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. date — the fruit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — magic
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ball — a dance
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ground — crushed

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