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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. field — for sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mark — a trace
  4. suit — clothes
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — thin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. roll — a list
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wound — an injury
  15. roll — a cake
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. field — farmland
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — in cards
  23. field — a subject
  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