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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. club — for dancing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pop — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — for golf

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