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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. mine — for digging
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. dip — to sink
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — a hole
  21. season — of the year
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  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