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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — crushed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ground — a position
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. charge — in control
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ground — the earth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lean — to bend
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bound — certain

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