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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: capital · lash · sharp · foot · saw · prune · pit · land

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. land — to come down
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. capital — a city
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. capital — money
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — ground
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pit — a hole
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. land — a country

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