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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: mate · fine · prune · club · pass · ground · stand · wake

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pass — a permit
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ground — a position
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — all right
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — for golf
  22. fine — high quality
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pass — to spend time

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