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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rash — a series
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bass — low music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. spell — magic
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — letters

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