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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — a stone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rock — music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rule — a law
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — government
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. field — a subject
  16. suit — to fit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fine — high quality
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. field — for sport
  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