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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. last — to go on
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — a match
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. game — wild animals
  20. last — final
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — finally
  24. trunk — of a car

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