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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. last — finally
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. last — to go on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. last — final
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ground — the earth

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