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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. march — music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — a list
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — the time now
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mine — for digging
  18. present — a gift
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a cake
  22. present — there
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. ball — a dance

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