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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · sharp · racket · staff · rush · arm · prune · mug

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — a face
  4. staff — a stick
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mug — a cup
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. racket — for tennis

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