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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. date — the fruit
  4. dip — to sink
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pop — soda
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. dip — to dunk

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