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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
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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: mate · bass · clip · leaves · prune · date · ball · present

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. present — the time now
  4. clip — for paper
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mate — a friend
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — there
  9. mate — a partner
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — a gift
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — to breed
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bass — low music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. leaves — to go away

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