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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. present — a gift
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. board — a committee
  11. present — there
  12. toast — bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a great time
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — the time now
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. board — to get on
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chip — to eat

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