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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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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: race · stand · staff · bass · cue · prune · cap · mark

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — employees
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — employees
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cap — a lid
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bass — the fish
  18. race — a contest
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — humankind
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cap — a hat

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