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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. land — ground
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wind — moving air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. season — of the year
  18. land — a country
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kick — in football
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. land — to come down
  24. kick — a thrill

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