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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: stand · rule · pitcher · prune · pop · bore · safe · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rule — government
  3. pop — music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — to visit
  24. prune — the fruit

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