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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. kick — in football
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. prune — to trim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — a measure
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — a stick

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