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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. clip — a video
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. march — the month
  12. mate — a friend
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. clip — for paper
  18. march — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pit — in a race
  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