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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bark — to shout
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. jam — in traffic

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