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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fork — in a road
  5. season — of the year
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — in sport
  10. land — ground
  11. mug — to rob
  12. scale — in music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. scale — size or range
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mug — a cup
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. mug — a face
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chair — a leader

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