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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: ball · prune · object · fine · wind · perch · jam · mouse

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ball — a dance
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — to protest
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — a thing

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