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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. swing — to play on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — in sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — a series
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — music

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