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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. capital — a city
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. swing — in golf
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. swing — music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. capital — money
  12. pit — in a race
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — of the year
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. season — in 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