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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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Word bank
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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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 — to trim
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. swing — to play on
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. club — for dancing
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. club — a group
  16. swing — music
  17. capital — a city
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. club — for golf
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — in golf
  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