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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.

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: net · prune · season · squash · chip · wake · bear · mate

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — a partner
  3. season — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. season — of the year
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mate — a friend
  12. prune — to trim
  13. net — for catching
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mate — to breed
  16. squash — to crush
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. season — to add flavour

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