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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cold — an illness
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — certain
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pit — a hole
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pop — soda

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