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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. file — a line of people
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. file — a document
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — in a race
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. file — a tool

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