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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ball — a dance
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a great time
  19. season — in sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cold — not warm
  24. prune — the fruit

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