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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bark — to shout
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rule — a law
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — government
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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