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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. prune — the fruit

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