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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cap — a hat
  5. track — a path
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cap — a lid
  8. land — a country
  9. mate — a friend
  10. swing — music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. season — of the year
  14. rock — music
  15. season — in sport
  16. land — to come down
  17. mate — to breed
  18. land — ground
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cap — of ice
  22. track — a song
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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