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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cap — of ice
  6. board — a committee
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mark — a grade
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — a lid
  12. track — a song
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. board — to get on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mark — to pay attention

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