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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. charge — in control
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ground — a position
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. hand — help
  10. scale — in music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kick — in football
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. craft — boats
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hand — in cards

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