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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 120 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
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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: spell · season · spring · racket · branch · sharp · pit · fall

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pit — in a race
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spring — the season
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spring — of water
  17. season — in sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — letters
  21. fall — the season
  22. sharp — clever
  23. season — of the year
  24. racket — a loud noise

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