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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cue — a signal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cue — a hint
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — in music
  17. season — in sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — in a road

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