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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — in cards
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — in music
  7. last — finally
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. board — a committee
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. suit — to fit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fork — in a road
  20. board — to get on
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ball — a dance
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a round shape

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