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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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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: roll · stand · fine · ground · firm · rule · spell · prune

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. roll — a cake
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — letters
  5. stand — to bear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — decided
  8. fine — all right
  9. rule — government
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. spell — a short time
  13. firm — a company
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rule — a law
  19. spell — magic
  20. ground — a position
  21. roll — a list
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rule — to rule out
  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