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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. sharp — clever
  6. season — in sport
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bound — obliged
  12. season — of the year
  13. bound — certain
  14. cap — a hat
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitch — completely
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. season — to add flavour

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