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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. branch — a division
  8. object — to protest
  9. prune — to trim
  10. season — in sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. object — an aim
  16. row — a line
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. object — a thing
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — of the year
  24. prune — the fruit

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