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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. ball — a great time
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — decided
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. march — the month
  19. firm — steady
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — a position
  22. march — music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ball — a dance

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