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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. board — a committee
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. season — of the year
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spring — of water
  11. cue — a signal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. club — a group
  18. game — a match
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. squash — the sport
  21. season — in sport
  22. spring — the season
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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