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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · arm · pit · prune · kick · sharp · firm · bay

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. firm — steady
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. firm — decided
  15. squash — to crush
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. firm — a company
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kick — in football

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