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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. court — of a king
  7. pop — soda
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chest — a box
  14. pop — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — a leader
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chest — of your body

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