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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — a position
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — for pool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cue — a hint
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — crushed
  22. march — music
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. game — wild animals

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