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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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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: bowl · season · prune · present · fan · bat · rash · current

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. season — in sport
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. present — there
  5. prune — to trim
  6. current — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. current — electric
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rash — hasty
  12. present — the time now
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — happening now
  19. present — a gift
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — on the skin

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