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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. firm — a company
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. firm — steady
  6. club — a group
  7. season — in sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — decided
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. field — farmland
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. field — a subject
  15. mark — a trace
  16. field — for sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. club — for golf
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — to pay attention

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