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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 120 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 you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. field — farmland
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. prune — to trim
  13. field — a subject
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — all right
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fine — high quality
  24. field — for sport

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