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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 120 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: march · swing · stand · mate · mine · cabinet · saw · prune

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — the tool
  9. march — music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. march — the month
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stand — to bear
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — belonging to me

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