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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. prune — to trim
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cap — a lid
  11. swing — music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bass — low music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — a signal
  19. season — of the year
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — of ice
  22. season — in sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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