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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. field — a subject
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — a hole
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — a committee
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — music
  14. field — farmland
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — in a race
  20. court — for sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. field — for sport

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