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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — happening now
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. pass — a permit
  9. current — electric
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. march — the month
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear

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