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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. prune — to trim
  11. scale — in music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — to protest
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rest — a break

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