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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: land · bass · mug · key · season · prune · bulb · roll

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a cup
  4. roll — a list
  5. season — in sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. roll — a cake
  11. prune — to trim
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. key — in music
  14. land — ground
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — the most important part
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — low music
  21. land — to come down
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. land — a country

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