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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. net — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. net — for catching
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fine — high quality
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. net — after costs

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