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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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Word bank
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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: prune · field · file · kick · mouse · clip · rock · suit

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. field — for sport
  2. file — a tool
  3. kick — in football
  4. suit — in cards
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — to fit
  13. clip — a video
  14. file — a document
  15. rock — music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. field — a subject
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  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