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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: arm · racket · sharp · row · leaves · field · prune · wave

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. row — a line
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — to paddle
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. field — a subject
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. sharp — clever
  20. field — farmland
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. sharp — with an edge

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