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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · pit · racket · bore · ball · prune

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spring — a coil
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — the season
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pit — in a race

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