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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rash — a series
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fine — all right
  15. rock — a stone
  16. band — a music group
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rash — hasty
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a dance

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