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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. field — for sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — to eat
  21. drill — army training
  22. chip — for betting
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — a leader

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