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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · ball · capital · pop · mouse · game · saw · bulb

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pop — to visit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. pop — soda
  22. prune — to trim
  23. capital — money
  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