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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. firm — decided
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. calf — a young animal

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