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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. toast — bread
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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