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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. field — farmland
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. craft — boats
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hand — help
  12. prune — to trim
  13. field — a subject
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — electricity
  16. field — for sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — a price
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. key — in music
  21. charge — in control
  22. key — the most important part
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. key — for a lock

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