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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — wild animals
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — to trim
  12. capital — a city
  13. swing — music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. swing — to play on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — money
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — a match

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