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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — for golf
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — in sport
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cap — of ice
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. season — of the year
  22. cap — a lid
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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