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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — to visit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pop — music
  9. chest — a box
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — soda
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cue — for pool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a hint

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