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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — a path
  10. field — farmland
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cell — a phone
  13. field — for sport
  14. suit — clothes
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a face
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — a subject
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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