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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. field — for sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. staff — a stick
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. staff — employees
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. field — a subject
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — there
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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