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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. foot — a measure
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. field — a subject
  14. bore — to drill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. suit — clothes

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