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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. swing — music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. squash — the sport
  10. land — ground
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bank — of a river
  15. land — a country
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mug — a cup
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. prune — to trim
  20. land — to come down
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — to play on
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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