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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. board — to get on
  4. sharp — clever
  5. track — a path
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. field — a subject
  9. board — a committee
  10. track — to keep track
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ground — a position
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. track — a song
  20. pass — a permit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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