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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. march — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bass — low music
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. march — the month
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — lets stay

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