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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: present · foot · bark · bay · arm · content · charge · prune

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. charge — in control
  3. bark — to shout
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. foot — a measure
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. present — there
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. present — a gift
  20. prune — to trim
  21. content — happy
  22. charge — a price
  23. present — the time now
  24. content — the amount

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