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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. march — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — in football
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. band — a music group
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rash — a series
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. season — of the year
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — with a leg

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