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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — of a king
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. prune — to trim
  18. court — for sport

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