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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bass — the fish
  4. band — a ring
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — ground
  13. band — a music group
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. land — a country
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — low music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — to come down

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