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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. row — a line
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bound — obliged
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — a path
  7. row — to paddle
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. season — of the year
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — to keep track
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. track — a song
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — a committee
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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