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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rash — a series
  4. present — a gift
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bass — low music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — the season
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — there
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stand — to bear
  20. present — the time now
  21. spring — of water
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. spring — a coil

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