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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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Word bank
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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. field — for sport
  3. chest — of your body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. field — a subject
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — soda
  16. field — farmland
  17. squash — to crush
  18. present — a gift
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chest — a box

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