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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — a subject
  3. pop — to visit
  4. staff — employees
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. field — farmland
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pop — music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — for sport
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. plane — a tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. prune — the fruit

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