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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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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. spring — a coil
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. swing — in golf
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — the season
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — of water
  18. swing — music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — boats
  22. swing — to play on
  23. prune — to trim
  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