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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — for dancing
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. club — a group
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — for golf
  24. prune — to trim

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