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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. season — in sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — a permit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — of the year
  13. track — a path
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. band — a ring
  20. cold — not warm
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stand — to bear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. band — a music group

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