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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stand — to bear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bass — low music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fine — all right
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. file — a document
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. file — a tool
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cue — a signal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — high quality

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