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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — a friend
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. season — of the year
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wind — moving air
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — a partner
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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