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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: season · ground · prune · saw · stand · kick · fan · cue

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — a position
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cue — a hint
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — to trim

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