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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. branch — a division
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — to handle
  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