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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — to paddle
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. sharp — clever
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mug — to rob
  24. row — a quarrel

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