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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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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: season · hand · leaves · stem · can · date · mug · pit

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hand — in cards
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. can — a tin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. season — in sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. season — of the year
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hand — help
  24. can — to be able to

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