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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · field · court · bear · prune · stick · current · ruler

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. field — a subject
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. court — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — of law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. field — farmland
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. current — electric
  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