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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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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: cap · game · prune · firm · rest · foot · jam · arm

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rest — a break
  4. foot — a measure
  5. game — a match
  6. cap — of ice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. firm — steady
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rest — what's left
  17. prune — to trim
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. firm — decided
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — a lid
  23. firm — a company
  24. prune — to trim

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