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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: field · wave · race · prune · content · arm · firm · suit

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. content — the amount
  3. suit — clothes
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. race — humankind
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. suit — to fit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — steady
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. suit — in cards
  16. content — happy
  17. race — a contest
  18. field — farmland
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — a company
  24. field — a subject

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