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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. present — there
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spring — a coil
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — in sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. season — of the year

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