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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — a cup
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — a company
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mug — to rob
  15. squash — to crush
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady

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