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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bass — low music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ball — a great time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. shower — rain

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