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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. content — happy
  7. rest — what's left
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. charge — a price
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — electricity
  16. content — the amount
  17. deal — to handle
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — to trim
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rest — a break
  24. bear — the animal

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