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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cue — a signal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — a line
  10. tube — a container
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mug — a cup
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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