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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. mate — a friend
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. season — in sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. band — a ring
  11. shower — rain
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. shower — to wash
  15. band — a music group
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stock — shares

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