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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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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: sharp · ball · tube · roll · date · game · prune · safe

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. roll — a list
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. roll — a cake
  10. game — a match
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a dance
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — the underground
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. sharp — clever

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