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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — all right
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — high quality
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. craft — boats
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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