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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — soda
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pop — music
  8. current — electric
  9. firm — decided
  10. field — for sport
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. firm — steady
  19. field — a subject
  20. drill — the tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — farmland
  24. drill — army training

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