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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 124 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. field — a subject
  3. prune — to trim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cell — in biology
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ground — a position
  11. field — for sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. field — farmland
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cell — a phone
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ground — crushed

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