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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — a position
  8. toast — bread
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ground — the earth
  16. content — the amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. content — happy
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pit — a hole

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