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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ball — a great time
  5. march — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mug — a face
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kick — in football
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chip — to eat
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. march — the month

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