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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · spell · stand · prune · land · rash

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spell — magic
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. land — a country
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — ground
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. land — to come down
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stand — to bear
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — letters

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