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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. tear — to rip
  11. suit — to fit
  12. field — farmland
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — decided
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. board — a committee
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — steady
  20. tear — from crying
  21. board — to get on
  22. field — for sport
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — a company

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