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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ball — a dance
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ball — a great time
  6. field — a subject
  7. bass — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. field — for sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lean — thin
  21. field — farmland
  22. bass — low music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cue — a signal

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