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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — completely
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. prune — to trim
  24. row — a line

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