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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. net — in sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lean — to bend
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — thin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. jam — in traffic

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