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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — a measure
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. kick — in football
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rest — a break
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. row — to paddle

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