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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — to paddle
  3. race — humankind
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. track — a path
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — a line
  12. track — to keep track
  13. race — a contest
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a song
  16. season — in sport
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. race — the arms race
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — for light

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