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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 120 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: swing · suit · cell · foot · prune · pitch · can · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — to fit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. swing — in golf
  9. suit — in cards
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rest — a break
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. can — a tin

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