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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pop — soda
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pop — music
  14. board — to get on
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ball — a great time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ball — a dance
  23. board — a committee
  24. prune — the fruit

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