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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: snap · prune · pitcher · deal · present · stand · can · face

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. present — a gift
  3. snap — to click
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — to confront
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — there
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stand — to bear
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. face — to point toward
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — the time now
  22. can — to be able to
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stand — on your feet

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