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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. prune — to trim
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pound — a weight
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. row — a line
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ball — a great time
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — a series

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