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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — to get on
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. roll — a list
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — a committee
  21. capital — money
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. capital — a city

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