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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: cap · stick · net · cell · nail · pit · stand · prune

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. net — in sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cap — a lid
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — for catching
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. net — after costs
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cell — in biology
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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