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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. board — to get on
  3. march — the month
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. object — to protest
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. march — music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. scale — in music
  15. object — a thing
  16. march — the month
  17. object — an aim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a great time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. board — a committee
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. prune — to trim

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