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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. scale — in music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. game — a match
  18. track — a song
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — size or range
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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