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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · mouse · wake · field · arm · stick · prune · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. field — a subject
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. pop — music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. firm — steady
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. firm — a company
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — soda

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