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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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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: prune · pitch · court · dip · nail · kid · date · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — for sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. date — the fruit
  10. court — of a king
  11. pitch — completely
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. kid — to tease
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kid — child
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. court — of law
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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