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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. net — in sport
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — after costs
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — hurry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. season — of the year
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. season — in sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — a song

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