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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: file · racket · content · foot · lie · prune · pit · sharp

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a line of people
  7. foot — a measure
  8. file — a document
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. file — a tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — happy
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pit — a hole
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pit — in a race

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