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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — a subject
  4. ball — a dance
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pop — soda
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. field — farmland
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — to visit
  14. field — for sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ball — a great time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ball — a round shape

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