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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. season — of the year
  3. pass — a permit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pop — to visit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pop — soda
  14. season — in sport
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pop — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chair — to sit on

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