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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitch — completely
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ground — crushed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. root — of a word
  15. ground — a position
  16. march — the month
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ground — the earth
  20. march — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. root — of a plant

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