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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. field — farmland
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. field — a subject
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — a division
  13. prune — to trim
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. prune — to trim
  16. field — for sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a hole
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pit — in a race
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. dip — to dunk

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