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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. field — for sport
  5. march — music
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. field — a subject
  9. march — the month
  10. deal — to handle
  11. prune — to trim
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. march — the month
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. snap — to click
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wake — a trail
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. prune — to trim

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