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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. toast — bread
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — for sport
  11. pit — in a race
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. scale — in music
  14. field — farmland
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. field — a subject
  17. rash — a series
  18. root — of a word
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — size or range

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