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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pop — soda
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. prune — to trim
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a dance
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stand — for spectators

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