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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rock — music
  7. current — happening now
  8. spring — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — the season
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spring — a coil
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — of water
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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