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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — happening now
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — all right
  9. current — electric
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ball — a great time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — of water
  19. shower — rain
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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