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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. track — to keep track
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — high quality
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a song
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — a path
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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