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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitch — completely
  3. charge — in control
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hand — help
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. drill — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hand — in cards
  14. charge — electricity
  15. drill — army training
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stand — for spectators

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