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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fine — all right
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rash — a series
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — to trim

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