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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bore — to drill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — goods

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