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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: prune · season · bass · squash · land · racket · calf · cabinet

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. squash — the sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bass — the fish
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — to come down
  24. racket — for tennis

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