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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — clothes
  4. firm — a company
  5. race — humankind
  6. season — in sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a grade
  13. firm — steady
  14. suit — in cards
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — of the year
  20. firm — decided
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. race — a contest
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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