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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — a tin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. prune — to trim
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — a break
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a great time
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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