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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. field — for sport
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — help
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — farmland
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. field — a subject
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hand — in cards
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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