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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — to fit
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — a permit
  6. field — for sport
  7. hand — in cards
  8. drill — the tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. hand — help
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. field — farmland
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. field — a subject
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. swing — music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rest — a break
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rest — what's left

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