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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · fan · jam · present · club · kick · prune · suit

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. present — a gift
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — to fit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — there
  12. prune — to trim
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — the time now
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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