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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ground — crushed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cue — a signal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. branch — a division
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ground — a position
  24. prune — to trim

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