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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — in sport
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. net — for catching
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. net — after costs
  12. foot — a measure
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — clothes
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bat — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — to bear
  23. temple — side of the head
  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