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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — there
  5. track — a path
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — a position
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. present — the time now
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. firm — decided
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — a gift
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — the season

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