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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 120 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: bass · charge · fan · pit · ball · season · prune · stem

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a great time
  7. season — in sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the fish
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fan — a supporter

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