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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. net — for catching
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. net — after costs
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. net — in sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. lean — to bend
  21. land — a country
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. suit — clothes

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