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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rash — a series
  3. net — in sport
  4. bound — obliged
  5. field — farmland
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. net — after costs
  11. bound — certain
  12. field — a subject
  13. foot — a measure
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bound — tied together
  16. present — there
  17. field — for sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — a gift
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rash — hasty

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