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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bound — tied together
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. object — a thing
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bound — certain
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bear — the animal

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