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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stand — to bear
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. staff — a stick
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mine — for digging
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — for spectators

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