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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wound — an injury
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. swing — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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