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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stem — to come from

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