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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — to trim
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. club — a group
  10. firm — decided
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. season — of the year
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. club — for dancing
  20. foot — a measure
  21. club — for golf
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. firm — steady
  24. deal — to handle

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