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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: season · straw · ground · bear · craft · pit · fall · mark

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — boats
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ground — a position
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — to drop
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ground — crushed
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fall — the season

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