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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ground — crushed
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spell — letters
  10. season — in sport
  11. chest — a box
  12. ground — the earth
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — of the year
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ground — a position
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bass — the fish

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