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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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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: mark · land · ground · cabinet · ball · prune · squash · hand

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ground — the earth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — ground
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a great time
  12. hand — help
  13. land — a country
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ground — a position
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ball — a dance
  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