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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. march — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rule — government
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. season — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — a law
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. march — the month
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. prune — to trim

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