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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 120 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 ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. sharp — clever
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — boats
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. court — of law
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — a stick
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. court — of a king
  17. prune — to trim
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. branch — a division
  22. craft — a skill
  23. court — for sport
  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