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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.

Make a worksheet

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: prune · arm · deal · court · foot · object · fan · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — a thing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of law
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — to handle
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. object — to protest
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — for sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — an aim

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