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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. ball — a great time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — a friend
  6. present — the time now
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a dance
  10. field — a subject
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. present — a gift
  15. mate — to breed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — to protest
  20. field — farmland
  21. present — there
  22. object — an aim
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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