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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pound — a weight
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chip — for betting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. toast — bread
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. craft — boats
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — a measure
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cell — a phone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. foot — part of the body

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