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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 124 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stand — to bear
  3. season — in sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. season — of the year
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. club — for golf
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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