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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — a gift
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — soda
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pop — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. net — after costs
  22. present — there
  23. pop — to visit
  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