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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 · bass · staff · cell · game · fall · ball · dip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cell — in biology
  3. staff — employees
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ball — a dance
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cell — a phone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. game — a match
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fall — the season
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bass — low music
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. staff — a stick
  24. game — a kind of play

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