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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: fork · season · staff · prune · swing · straw · pitch · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. staff — a stick
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. season — in sport
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fork — in a road
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — to recline
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — of the year
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. swing — 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