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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: pit · toast · racket · kid · prune · face · pound · fork

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — to point toward
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pit — in a race
  17. face — to confront
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kid — child
  21. pound — a weight
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — bread

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