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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. row — a line
  6. track — a song
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a great time
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. drill — army training
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. deal — an agreement

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