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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bass — the fish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — low music

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