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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: swing · toast · lean · foot · pitcher · firm · prune · spring

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — the season
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — a company
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. firm — steady
  12. swing — to play on
  13. foot — a measure
  14. prune — to trim
  15. toast — bread
  16. lean — thin
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. firm — decided
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lean — to bend
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. spring — of water
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to rest against

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