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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: prune · chip · pop · fan · ground · mug · season · bass

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — a cup
  7. season — of the year
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pop — soda
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bass — the fish
  17. season — in sport
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ground — a position
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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