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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. season — in sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — boats
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a tool
  13. march — the month
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. march — music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. season — to add flavour

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