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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — the time now
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — there
  12. kick — in football
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fine — all right
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — high quality

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