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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. present — a gift
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. present — the time now
  9. track — to keep track
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. track — a song
  14. staff — employees
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — there
  18. track — a path
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chair — to sit on

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