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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. season — in sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — the cause
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. scale — size or range
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — of a word
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — a sauce

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