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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. root — of a word
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — completely
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — the cause
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. foot — a measure
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rash — a series

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