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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. last — final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. staff — employees
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. last — to go on
  17. spell — magic
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. last — finally
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stand — to bear

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