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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ground — a position
  3. field — a subject
  4. ground — the earth
  5. suit — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. field — for sport
  17. row — a line
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — farmland

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