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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — for pool
  5. field — farmland
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mate — a friend
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mate — to breed
  24. jam — in traffic

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