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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. season — of the year
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — a friend
  17. current — electric
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mate — a partner
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mate — to breed

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