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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. mug — a face
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pop — soda
  12. club — a group
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ball — a dance
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a great time
  21. club — for golf
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mug — a cup

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