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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bass — low music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. land — ground
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. land — to come down
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bear — to put up with

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