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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kid — child
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bat — the animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. plane — a tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bear — to put up with

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