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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. track — a path
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. snap — to click
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — money
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. saw — the tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a city

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