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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. track — a path
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. track — a song
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a hat
  24. prune — the fruit

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