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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — the season
  4. can — to be able to
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. field — farmland
  8. toast — bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. field — a subject
  17. deal — to handle
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spring — of water
  20. field — for sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. scale — size or range
  24. prune — to trim

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