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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a great time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fine — all right
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. dip — a sauce

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