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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — ground
  6. craft — a skill
  7. field — a subject
  8. bank — of a river
  9. field — farmland
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. craft — boats
  12. squash — the sport
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. field — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. foot — a measure
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rest — a break
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. craft — a handicraft

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