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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a face
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spell — magic
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bound — tied together
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. spell — letters
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ground — a position

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