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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — a skill
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. roll — a cake
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. season — of the year
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — boats
  20. roll — a list
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. prune — to trim
  24. season — to add flavour

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