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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: race · stand · fan · mouse · prune · spell · ball · land

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. land — to come down
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — humankind
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — the arms race
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. race — a contest
  15. spell — magic
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. prune — to trim

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