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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: toast · staff · present · prune · racket · firm · row · sharp

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. staff — employees
  4. firm — decided
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — clever
  8. firm — steady
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. firm — a company
  11. row — a line
  12. present — the time now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. present — a gift
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. row — to paddle
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. present — there
  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