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

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chip — to eat
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — hurry
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. roll — a list

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