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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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. firm — decided
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. firm — a company
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rash — a series
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — a measure
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — steady
  24. bowl — a dish

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