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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: charge · hand · bear · pop · foot · present · arm · prune

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — music
  3. present — there
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. foot — a measure
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — in control
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hand — in cards
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — help
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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