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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: foot · stand · leaves · prune · mark · bat · ball · calf

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a dance
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — a measure
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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