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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. field — a subject
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — for sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — of a river
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — the month
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. march — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — farmland
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bank — for money

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