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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. clip — a video
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. foot — a measure
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. roll — a cake
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. clip — to cut
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. foot — the bottom

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