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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. clip — a video
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — for sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. clip — to cut
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rest — a break
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — a tool
  24. field — a subject

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