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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. prune — to trim
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rest — a break
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ground — crushed
  20. shower — rain
  21. ground — the earth
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — a position
  24. rest — what's left

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