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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rock — music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a word
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — a subject
  14. root — the cause
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — the fruit

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