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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: sharp · rash · kick · foot · deal · capital · prune · pound

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. capital — money
  10. rash — a series
  11. foot — a measure
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kick — in football
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. capital — a city
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rash — hasty

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