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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. date — the fruit
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spell — letters
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — a short time
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — music
  16. spell — magic
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — all right

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