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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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Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — hasty
  10. season — of the year
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — to trim
  24. patient — a sick person

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