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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — to drill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pop — soda
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. net — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — for catching
  24. pop — music

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