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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: deal · mate · stand · bore · prune · toast · craft · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. toast — bread
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stand — to bear
  17. craft — boats
  18. bore — to drill
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bore — to tire

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