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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.

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: racket · staff · swing · toast · prune · ball · face · land

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. staff — employees
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. swing — in golf
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. land — a country
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — a stick
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a great time
  24. face — to confront

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