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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. snap — to click
  22. bat — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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