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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mark — a trace
  8. march — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mark — a grade
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — a dish

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