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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. prune — to trim
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — to bear
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. foot — a measure
  24. deal — to handle

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