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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fork — in a road
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. season — in sport
  16. current — happening now
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. current — electric
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — to bear
  21. current — of water
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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