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

Word bank: swing · prune · stand · race · cell · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cell — in biology
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — the arms race
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — music
  10. race — a contest
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. race — humankind
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear

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