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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: ball · prune · foot · stand · squash · key · stick · bay

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a great time
  5. key — in music
  6. stand — to bear
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. squash — the sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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