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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. club — a group
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mine — for digging
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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