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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: club · present · leaves · pass · ball · season · rush · trunk

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — a permit
  3. club — a group
  4. present — there
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. club — for golf
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — the time now
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. club — for dancing

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