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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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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: fork · calf · game · pop · deal · drill · ball · prune

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pop — to visit
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. drill — army training
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — a practice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pop — soda
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pop — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a match
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. calf — of the leg

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