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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: saw · rash · craft · season · spell · ground · prune · bowl

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — in sport
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. season — of the year
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — letters
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rash — a series
  20. craft — boats
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ground — the earth
  23. spell — magic
  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