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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. season — of the year
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. suit — to fit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. content — happy
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — in sport
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — magic
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. prune — the fruit

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