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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. field — for sport
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — certain
  7. content — the amount
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mug — to rob
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to drill
  12. field — farmland
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rule — government
  15. field — a subject
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to tire
  21. content — happy
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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