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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: prune · calf · pit · last · mark · arm · season · mug

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. season — in sport
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. pit — a hole
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — part of the body

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