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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pop — soda
  5. field — farmland
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — a break
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. club — for golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — to visit
  22. field — a subject
  23. pass — a permit
  24. club — a group

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