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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. club — for golf
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. field — farmland
  14. band — a ring
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. band — a music group
  19. fork — in a road
  20. club — for dancing
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chair — a professorship

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