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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: prune · chair · mark · bark · pound · foot · calf · dip

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pound — a weight
  11. foot — a measure
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mark — a grade

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