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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. field — a subject
  7. kid — to tease
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — a hole
  15. field — farmland
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. field — for sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — child

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