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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · kick · season · row · tube · stand · prune · bass

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. row — a line
  3. season — of the year
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — to bear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — to paddle
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bass — the fish
  17. kick — in football
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tube — the underground
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — in sport
  23. bass — low music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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