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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. field — farmland
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — for pool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. field — for sport
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stock — goods
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mark — a grade

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