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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 · pit · field · suit · rash · toast · lean · wave

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. toast — bread
  5. lean — thin
  6. field — farmland
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. field — a subject
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pit — a hole
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — a series
  24. pit — in a race

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