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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pop — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. drill — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — soda
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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