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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ball — a great time
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. swing — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — hasty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rash — a series
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bore — gave birth

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