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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mug — a cup
  21. roll — a list
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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