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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — employees
  4. foot — a measure
  5. staff — a stick
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mug — a cup
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ground — crushed
  22. snap — to click
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. dip — to sink

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