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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. season — of the year
  3. pit — a hole
  4. roll — a list
  5. wound — an injury
  6. craft — boats
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pit — in a race
  9. craft — a skill
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wound — an injury
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. season — in sport
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — a grade
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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