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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. can — a tin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rest — a break
  17. scale — in music
  18. prune — the fruit

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