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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
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: mate · prune · cell · suit · sharp · squash · scale · object

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. scale — size or range
  3. object — a thing
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. squash — to crush
  6. object — to protest
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — a phone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mate — to breed
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — the sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cell — in biology

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