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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chest — of your body
  13. capital — a city
  14. pitch — completely
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. prune — to trim
  19. capital — money
  20. chest — a box
  21. bound — tied together
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — to trim

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