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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a document
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — a subject
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. prune — to trim
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — an amount
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mouse — the animal

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