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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.

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: fine · file · prune · mate · straw · foot · season · march

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. march — music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. season — of the year
  5. file — a document
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fine — high quality
  13. march — the month
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — a friend
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. season — in sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mate — to breed

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