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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: game · wax · saw · branch · foot · season · pit · present

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pit — in a race
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — there
  5. branch — a division
  6. season — of the year
  7. present — a gift
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pit — a hole
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — wild animals
  22. season — in sport
  23. present — the time now
  24. foot — part of the body

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