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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 116 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: wake · pit · mug · ground · bowl · prune · suit · staff

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a face
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pit — in a race
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. staff — a stick
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. suit — clothes

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