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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rule — government
  5. pop — soda
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. net — after costs
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. suit — clothes
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bass — the fish
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — low music
  23. pop — music
  24. rule — a law

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