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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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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cue — a hint
  3. roll — a list
  4. foot — a measure
  5. capital — money
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to click
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. can — a tin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. roll — a cake
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. capital — a city
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — to be able to

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