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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a line of people
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. file — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a document
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. game — a match
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ball — a dance
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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