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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: bear · prune · pound · kid · game · object · firm · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. firm — decided
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. object — a thing
  10. firm — steady
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — a weight
  20. kid — child
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. object — to protest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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