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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. board — a committee
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. object — to protest
  8. pop — to visit
  9. staff — employees
  10. object — an aim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. field — a subject
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — in music
  17. pop — music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pop — soda
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — to get on
  24. object — a thing

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