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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — to drill
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pit — a hole

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