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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — a permit
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cue — for pool
  9. net — for catching
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. season — of the year
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rest — a break
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. perch — for a bird

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