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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bark — to shout
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. key — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. key — for a lock
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. scale — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. key — the most important part
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ball — a great time
  23. branch — a division
  24. 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