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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cue — for pool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — a phone
  19. roll — a cake
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — on a roll

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