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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cue — a hint
  4. net — for catching
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cue — a signal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. net — after costs
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — a friend
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bear — the animal
  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