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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — boats
  3. march — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. firm — a company
  9. pop — soda
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — of water
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. craft — a skill
  20. march — the month
  21. pop — music
  22. spring — the season
  23. firm — decided
  24. season — of the year

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