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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. ground — a position
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — for catching
  5. rash — a series
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fine — all right
  8. net — in sport
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — a line
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — after costs
  14. present — a gift
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. row — to paddle
  18. present — the time now
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. prune — to trim
  22. present — there
  23. fine — a penalty
  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