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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. field — for sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — of the year
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — electric
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. season — in sport
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. current — of water

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