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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. field — a subject
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. field — for sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — to bend
  22. deal — to handle
  23. field — farmland
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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