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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. club — a group
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ball — a great time
  23. club — for golf
  24. leaves — lets stay

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