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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — to bear
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pop — music
  8. season — in sport
  9. bat — the animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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