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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — farmland
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. roll — a cake
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rest — a break
  20. field — a subject
  21. degree — from a university
  22. roll — a list
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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