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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.

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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: pit · scale · ground · straw · prune · deal · cap · stand

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. scale — in music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — size or range
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cap — of ice

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