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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. field — a subject
  3. spell — letters
  4. field — for sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. field — farmland
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. squash — to crush
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. prune — to trim
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spell — magic
  24. mark — to pay attention

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