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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. field — for sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. object — a thing
  6. field — farmland
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. field — a subject
  13. prune — to trim
  14. suit — in cards
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. plane — a tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. suit — to fit
  24. sharp — exactly

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