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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: fork · ball · prune · arm · spring · season · bass · dip

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — of the year
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. season — in sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. spring — of water
  14. bass — low music
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. spring — the season
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — in a road

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