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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. field — a subject
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — to fit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bore — to drill
  19. field — for sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. prune — the fruit

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