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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pop — soda
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — of the year
  11. foot — a measure
  12. season — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pop — to visit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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