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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 help me carry this box?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. can — to be able to
  3. saw — the tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — to sink
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. current — electric
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — the tool
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. current — happening now
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — army training
  24. ball — a great time

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