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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 120 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: bowl · field · object · snap · squash · stand · sharp · prune

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. snap — to click
  3. object — a thing
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — to protest
  12. field — for sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. field — a subject
  17. stand — to bear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. field — farmland
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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