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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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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 · stand · racket · swing · cap · stick · band · spell

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. swing — music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. band — a music group
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — in golf
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — letters
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cap — a hat
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — of ice
  23. band — a ring
  24. stand — to bear

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