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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: object · march · season · mate · squash · prune · current · spring

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. season — of the year
  3. squash — the sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. current — happening now
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — the season
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. object — an aim
  13. season — in sport
  14. current — of water
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — electric
  17. mate — a partner
  18. spring — a coil
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — of water
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mate — a friend
  23. march — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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