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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: prune · rush · chip · foot · race · season · mark · mug

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. season — in sport
  9. mug — to rob
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — a face
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — humankind
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chip — for betting
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. race — a contest

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