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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — a stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — there
  10. capital — a city
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. capital — money
  19. present — a gift
  20. prune — to trim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. present — the time now
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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