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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. field — a subject
  6. race — a contest
  7. craft — boats
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. craft — a skill
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. field — for sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. race — humankind
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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