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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. drill — a practice
  4. season — in sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. scale — in music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. season — of the year
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. drill — army training
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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