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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. present — a gift
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. current — electric
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — help
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hand — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. present — there
  18. firm — a company
  19. current — of water
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. current — happening now

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