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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ground — the earth
  9. suit — to fit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mark — a trace
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ground — a position
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. suit — clothes

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