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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: pit · stick · prune · rash · hand · ground · season · rest

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — of the year
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — the earth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ground — a position
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. pit — a hole

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