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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cold — not warm
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cold — an illness
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — a break
  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