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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitch — completely
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. field — a subject
  9. race — the arms race
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. race — humankind
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. race — a contest
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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