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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — to be able to
  4. club — for dancing
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. club — for golf
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. club — a group
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — to bear
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hide — animal skin

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