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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: prune · mug · ground · bound · lash · stand · pit · fine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bound — certain
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fine — all right
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pit — in a race
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — a face

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