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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: bear · prune · field · pit · bay · plane · rest · coach

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. field — for sport
  4. plane — a tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pit — a hole

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