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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. cue — for pool
  8. file — a document
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — the tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. file — a tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cue — a hint
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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