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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pop — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — an aim
  9. march — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. march — the month
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — to protest
  24. bowl — a football final

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