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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bass — low music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. season — in sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. squash — to crush
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. squash — the sport

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