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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mug — a face
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — in a race
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. season — in sport
  10. rule — government
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. march — the month
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rule — a law
  23. season — of the year
  24. coach — a trainer

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