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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. scale — in music
  6. season — in sport
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — a grade
  19. swing — music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mark — to pay attention

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