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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — low music
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. object — a thing
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. object — to protest
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pound — a weight

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