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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. row — to paddle
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — to crush
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ball — a great time
  10. row — a line
  11. ball — a dance
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. present — a gift
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. prune — to trim
  21. deal — to handle
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — the fruit

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