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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: bowl · fine · prune · bound · field · mate · spell · kick

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bound — tied together
  4. field — for sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. spell — letters
  7. field — a subject
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mate — a partner
  14. field — farmland
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bound — certain
  19. spell — magic
  20. kick — in football
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spell — a short time
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — all right

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