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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — a measure
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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