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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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 — for sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ball — a dance
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. field — a subject
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cue — a hint
  13. perch — the fish
  14. field — farmland
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  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