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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — the time now
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — electricity
  9. degree — from a university
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. field — for sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. vault — a safe
  14. charge — in control
  15. present — there
  16. squash — the sport
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lean — to bend
  19. degree — an amount
  20. field — a subject
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lean — thin
  23. present — a gift
  24. prune — the fruit

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