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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kid — to tease
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — the most important part
  8. kid — child
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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