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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. field — for sport
  3. ground — a position
  4. field — a subject
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. object — a thing
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lean — thin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ground — crushed
  13. field — farmland
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — an aim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. object — to protest
  24. craft — boats

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