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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. charge — in control
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — the season
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. track — a song

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