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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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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. row — a line
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. degree — from a university
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ball — a great time
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — bread
  16. row — to paddle
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. date — the fruit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. degree — an amount
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. date — on the calendar

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