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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.

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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: field · ball · march · snap · mate · prune · rest · object

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — a break
  5. object — to protest
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — the month
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — a subject
  13. mate — to breed
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — to trim
  18. march — the month
  19. field — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. object — a thing
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. field — farmland

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