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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. last — finally
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — to go on
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cell — a phone
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. field — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. field — a subject
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. field — farmland
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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