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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rash — hasty
  3. foot — a measure
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rash — a series
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. prune — to trim
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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