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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 120 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: foot · saw · suit · season · hand · fine · prune · board

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — of the year
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fine — high quality
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — all right
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. board — to get on
  15. suit — clothes
  16. board — a committee
  17. hand — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — help
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. foot — a measure
  24. hand — part of the body

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