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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bass — the fish
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. land — to come down
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chair — a leader
  9. land — a country
  10. stand — to bear
  11. track — a path
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. land — ground
  24. prune — to trim

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