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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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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. prune — to trim
  9. field — a subject
  10. band — a music group
  11. pit — in a race
  12. field — farmland
  13. stem — to come from
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — a partner
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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