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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. game — wild animals
  7. staff — employees
  8. field — a subject
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. field — for sport
  21. wake — a trail
  22. field — farmland
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — before a funeral

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