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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fork — in a road
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — a group
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. field — a subject
  18. 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