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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. field — for sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stem — to come from
  7. suit — to fit
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. field — farmland
  13. rush — hurry
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. sharp — clever
  17. field — a subject
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rush — a thrill

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