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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rock — music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. prune — to trim
  24. drill — a practice

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