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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — farmland
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — a price
  9. field — a subject
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — to be able to
  18. charge — in control
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. field — for sport
  23. snap — to click
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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