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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rock — music
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — a trail
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. prune — to trim

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