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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. club — for golf
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kick — in football
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — a publisher
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. club — a group
  14. foot — a measure
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. press — to push
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pit — in a race
  24. club — for dancing

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