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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bark — to shout
  8. press — a publisher
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — newspapers
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. swing — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. press — to push
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. date — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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