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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — of the year
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. season — in sport
  15. bat — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — to trim

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