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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 · leaves · bass · game · season · mate · date · prune

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. game — a match
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bass — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bass — low music
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mate — a partner
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mate — a friend
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — wild animals

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