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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. row — to paddle
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. land — a country
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. prune — to trim
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a grade
  15. club — a group
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stand — for spectators

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