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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
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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: pit · straw · foot · leaves · prune · jam · sharp · dip

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. sharp — clever
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pit — in a race
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — a hole
  24. jam — a tight spot

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