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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · stand · lean · bass · hide · dip · ground · prune

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lean — thin
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ground — the earth
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ground — a position
  19. lean — to bend
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bass — low music

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