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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 116 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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. press — to push
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — a line
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — a publisher
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. field — farmland
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. calf — a young 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