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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. club — a group
  3. object — an aim
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. object — to protest
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. object — a thing
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — after costs
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — in sport
  21. track — to keep track
  22. net — for catching
  23. season — in sport
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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