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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. mark — a trace
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fine — all right
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. game — wild animals
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. game — a match
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ball — a round shape

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