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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: season · prune · fork · mark · capital · leaves · squash · club

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. club — a group
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. season — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. capital — a city
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. club — for golf
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. capital — money
  21. fork — in a road
  22. club — for dancing
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. squash — to crush

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