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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a document
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spell — letters
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — certain
  19. bore — to drill
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. file — a line of people
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — tied together

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