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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: suit · sharp · season · ground · present · prune · bound · pass

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. season — of the year
  9. ground — the earth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — crushed
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — certain
  15. season — in sport
  16. ground — a position
  17. pass — a permit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. present — there
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bound — obliged

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