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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ball — a dance
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. key — in music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ball — a great time

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