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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: mug · foot · present · fine · prune · bear · pitcher · saw

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mug — a cup
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mug — a face
  8. fine — high quality
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — the time now
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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