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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a great time
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. press — newspapers
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. press — to push
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. press — a publisher
  24. jam — a tight spot

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