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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ball — a dance
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mate — a partner
  14. foot — a measure
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — for catching
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. net — in sport

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