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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — the time now
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. present — a gift
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rule — government
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rule — a law
  18. present — there
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. game — a match
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — a kind of play

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