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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · season · rock · court · bowl · safe · prune · saw

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. court — of law
  5. lean — thin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — of the year
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — a stone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — for sport
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. court — of a king
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — music

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