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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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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: fall · wind · ball · march · chip · racket · prune · stick

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a great time
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — the season
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. chip — to eat
  15. march — the month
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fall — to drop

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