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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 · rest · date · spell · firm · mark · coach · prune

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — steady
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rest — a break
  11. firm — decided
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — a company
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spell — letters
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ball — a round shape

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