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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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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: toast · jam · cabinet · bowl · season · hand · prune · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. toast — bread
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. season — in sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hand — in cards
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. hand — help
  23. season — of the year
  24. prune — the fruit

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