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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. field — farmland
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. field — for sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. prune — to trim
  14. field — a subject
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — an aim
  20. pound — a weight
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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