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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spell — magic
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. bass — the fish
  21. root — the cause
  22. spell — letters
  23. rock — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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