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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — all right
  8. craft — boats
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rock — music
  17. season — in sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cue — a signal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fine — high quality
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — a stone
  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